• Anything could happen tonight. It was the first night in months that Luci went out. Since the funeral, she had locked herself away in her minimum wage job and kept busy as much as she could. But tonight she would live life unpredictably again. Besides, she justifued, I'll be drinking it off anyways.

    Tonight was not a girl’s night out. Far from it actually. All her girlfriends were either taking care of their newborns, trying to finish school, or were so jaded by it all that spending a Friday night in seemed to be a haven of the sorts. It didn't matter to Luci though; her true friends were a whole lot less difficult to deal with.

    Jimmy, David, Tyler, and Caleb were waiting for her in Jimmy's badly bruised '03 Altima blasting Foo Fighters as if 11pm wasn't by any means a late hour. Almost grudgingly, Luci walked out of her one story house promising her dad that she would be home before 3 am. He didn't care that Luci was going out with the boys; in fact he was nearly glad it was with them. He didn't trust her female friends, especially Loose-Panty-Thread-Tina who was known as the town's whore. Nonetheless, he was confident that none of the boys would put a move on her and would bloody anyone who tried.

    With a sigh Luci got in the back seat with David and Tyler. As usual she had to be in between them. 'The girl gots to sit in the middle,' Tyler would say, 'cause then if there's a drive by she'll live,' David would finish. In a western town such as Hunter Nevada drive by shootings occurred as often as acid rain. It was ridiculous, Luci knew, for her to always be in the middle. But she really didn't mind. Whatever their hair brained reason, she just let it be.

    Brandy Bob's was the local bar where everyone flocked to after the day's work. Most would leave by 8pm, but those who didn't have spouses or other responsibilities stayed. Her and her boys entered, eyeing several open bar stools. As usual they ordered the darkest beer followed by two sweet shots of Kailua and Cream. Conversation was light and not at all wholesome. Racist, sexist, and any other offensive joke was exchanged. All except David came up with them. Sure he laughed at the clever ones, but ever since his brother's death crude jokes didn't seem appealing.

    "Dave?" Luci said as she gulped the last of her beer, "You’re thinking about him aren't you?"

    "Yeah," he shrugged, "can't help it."

    "I am too," she said, "guess we're not drunk enough to forget."

    "I don’t want to," he sighed.

    "But it would be nice not to feel anymore," she countered.

    "Yeah...”

    The first round of Kailua was always the sweetest. It washed away the bitterness of the beer and tickled the tongue with it's smooth as silk liquid. Caleb began the talking, the random talking to anyone who'd give a damn. No one actually did, but he didn't see it that way. His first victim was a blonde waitress with the biggest southern accent Luci had ever heard. Luci remembered that she was new from Louisiana, and from the accent alone she decided never to visit that state. The accent was like fungus to her ears.

    "Stupid a**," Jimmy said as Caleb started talking to a group of bikers.

    They were much older than mid twenties, and the wisdom in their beards proved it. Tyler and Jimmy decided to go after Caleb and get him away from the Wise. Caleb was such a fool, Jimmy seemed embarrassed to be around him. With a nod to Jimmy, the Wise pardoned Caleb. Relief swept over Tyler, the Wise hated fools but considering what happened months ago he figured they took pity on his group.

    However, some didn't give a damn. Out of the corner of her eye she could see him watching her. A middle aged construction worker, white, tattooed, pierced, and obviously horny. She wasn't as attractive as her blonde-bombshell sister. In fact she was nearly her opposite with night black hair and jade eyes. Though her mouth was always pouting, her sunken cheeks revealed sharp cheekbones that many thought were too rigid to be considered beautiful.

    But nonetheless the man stared until finally he came over. While Jimmy and Tyler were taking care of Caleb, David had gone to use the bathroom leaving the delicate desert lily by herself in world full of cactuses.

    "Let me buy you a drink," he offered.

    "No," Luci said forcefully, "I'm driving."

    "So what? We're in the middle of no where, not much can happen."

    "But if something did," she countered, "I'd be in the middle of no where."

    "Isn't that the risk you take every time you get behind the wheel? I mean c'mon, accidents happen despite the alcohol. Besides, it seems you're in need of a break."

    "I'm fine really."

    "No you're not," he insisted.

    "Yes. I am," she changed her tone from casually blowing him off to blunt discontent.

    "C'mon you need me," he said grabbing her wrist, "the poison I know you crave."

    She didn't answer; she just tried to loosen his grip on her arm. Suddenly, in an almost graceful flight, David swung his fist into the man's face, knocking him nearly to the floor.

    Immediately the Wise came over to see what was going on. Fighting was strick in these parts, and it was one more reason the police wanted to close Brandy Bob's, but the Wise would never let that happen.

    "Get the ******** out," the first Wiseman said, his deep yellow bandanna creasing with his brow.

    "Who?" David asked, not caring to show any respect to his elders.

    "All of you get out!"

    "It's not my fault," the construction man said, clearly intoxicated, as he rubbed his jaw, " she wanted me, I was acting on instinct. She gave it up to the dead kid, why not me?"

    How dare he mention Chris, Luci thought and looked at David. Being his brother, David carried Chris' death more so than anyone. The reaction that followed was well justified, but Luci couldn't bare it. Charging forward , David swung low at the drunk construction man. One of the Wise men stepped in and prevented David from touching the man. With his fearsome god-like structure the Wiseman was far bigger than David. Though an ex linebacker, there was no way to get around the Wiseman to get to the drunk construction man. He would have to go through.

    She saw the look in his bright eyes, the look a dog gets when defending it's young from an attacker far bigger than he. Luci couldn't let it happen, she wouldn't let it happen. Before David could lunge at the Wiseman, she placed herself firmly in front of him. She looked up at him with her jade eyes pleading. They were kind of eyes no one could really read, there was always something else thrown into the apparent emotion. David couldn't guess what that was now. Remorse? Longing? Fear maybe? He couldn't tell, but it was there, something was there.

    "David please? Let’s just go," she said.

    He didn't look at her but kept his eyes in the gaze of the drunken construction man.

    "David!" She yelled and grabbed his face and pulled it down to her level, "please?"

    "You deserve justice," he said flatly, almost as if 'justice' were a distant goal.

    "My justice is you not getting hurt...please I couldn't stand it."

    The rest of the Wise came over as did Jimmy, Tyler and Caleb. With another nod, the head Wiseman allowed for Jimmy to move toward David and Luci.

    "Come on Dave," he said placing a rugged hand on his shoulder, "that b*****d isn't worth this s**t."

    With a heavy sigh and one last glare at the drunken construction man, David followed his friends out of Brandy Bob's bar. Hopefully, he thought, I'll see him on the streets. I'll kick his a** then.

    Luci had less alcohol than the others; therefore she drove Jimmy's Altima. It's evergreen color seemed sickening to her. Since its bumper was mangled and there were several small dents (from paintball massacres) her comparing it to barf wasn't totally crazy. She breathed in deep, hoping that the cigarette air would prohibit her from thinking about the smell of barf and alcohol.

    She made sure everyone was secure in their safety belts before she drove away from Brandy Bob's. She dropped off Caleb first, then Tyler and Jimmy. Jimmy told her it was fine that she borrowed the car, as long as she brought it back before noon. McDonalds didn't appreciate tardiness.

    David was the last to be dropped off, since his home was closer to hers. She slowly got out of the car to walk him to his door. She looked haggard and seemed that her mind was elsewhere. He knew where, it wasn't really that far. He was sure that every time she saw the house it reminded her of Chris. It was where he found them, alone and naked in Chris' bedroom, the night he died. If he hadn't blown up on Chris he'd be alive. When they found his car on the side of the road, wrinkled like un-ironed clothing, there was no comfort for David.

    "You alright?" He asked her as she slowly walked up onto the porch.

    "Fine, just a little tired."

    "I know me too," he said leaning against the rail.

    "I can't believe it's been seven months since I've been here," she said.

    "You should've come sooner."

    "I know," she sighed, "I didn't know if you wanted me to."

    "I did, I do, I always have."

    "But what we did..."

    "It's forgotten," he said and for the first time through out the night he sounded alive.

    Luci walked up beside him and place a delicate hand on his shoulder. With a simple smile she looked up at him. Again something else was mixed in her eyes. Regret? Sympathy? Empathy? He couldn't tell.

    "Thank you," she said at last, "I thought you'd hate me forever...I didn't do it to spite you."

    "I know," he smiled, "he loved you too."

    "I love you David. I never wanted to keep you from flying, that's why Chris and I worked. We were each other's wings to fly out of this ******** town."

    "I know," he said with a soft sigh, "but you never kept me here, I stayed because I wanted to."

    "You should have gone to Berkeley."

    "No, I had to stay."

    She smiled and shook her head, "so stubborn."

    "Don’t forget it."

    "I won't." She said as they met each other's gaze. For a long moment they said nothing, then Luci wrapped her arms around his neck. He held her close to him, trying to squeeze all the comfort she could give him. Luci may have been an enigma to him, but she was the only one who could make him forget. And he wanted to badly.

    "I better get home before Dad freaks out," she said kissing his cheek, "I'll call tomorrow."

    "Alright," he said, then realized that Luci still looked weary, "wait," he stopped her, "let me drive you back, you don't look so good."

    "I'm fine just a bit tired, beside you drank more than I did."

    "Still, I'm not as tired."

    "I'll be fine," she said so casually.

    "Promise?"

    "Yes! Get some sleep Emerson."

    "Will do."

    Before he stepped in to his house he looked back to see Luci drive off in the green Altima. He breathed deeply the sweet spring night air and lightly waved to her car. She probably didn't see him, but the gesture made him feel better.

    Soul Asylum was the only music she wanted to hear. Specifically their only true hit, Runaway Train. She passed the lake and was heading toward the train tracks, and figured it was an appropriate song. It not only represented the night's heavy air, but it also seemed right for how she felt.

    As she drove past the first set of tracks, she wondered if she shouldn't have taken David up on his offer to driver her home. She felt her eyelids sinking, and her bones ached from doziness. But then something woke her. She thought she saw in the middle of the road a fallen sign of the sorts. She had planned to swerve around it, but her reaction wasn't quick enough. Overcompensating on the wheel, the Altima jerked too far to the left, and ended upside down off the road.

    She could see. That was a good sign she wasn't dead. But the pain, where was it coming from? At first she wasn't able to investigate where it hurt, her neck was so stiff. But soon that faded. The air bag bloodied her nose but overall saved her life. But trying to move it out of her face was painful. Looking down she saw blood. Slightly turning to the left she saw that her car door window was in shards. She looked down again, and saw the biggest shard in her hip.

    Wincing, she maneuvered against the air bag and pulled the glass from her flesh. She felt tears drip from her cheek, the pain worsened as she took it out. She used the bloody glass shard to pop the air bag. When she was free from it she could look at the shard closely. The blood covered at least two inches of the point.

    "Damn."

    Unlocking her seat belt she stumbled out of the car. Only then did she realize that her ribs burned with sharp pain. Ever time she breathed it stung more and more. She didn't have her cell phone, nor did she have any means to contact anyone. She was in the middle of no where.

    Slowly she crawled away from the car. She had seen so many movies and shows where the car blew up; there was no way she was going to allow herself to burn. Finally, about thirty feet away, she was satisfied where she was. Wanting to see the damn sign she'd missed, she looked at the road.

    There was no sign.

    But in front of her was a wooden cross, firmly planted in the ground. The moonlight seemed to have illuminated it, make it seem like something from the Romantic era. She crawled to it and moved the little blue flowers away from the name. Wincing, she allowed herself to smile. Her blood-stained hand smoothed the soft crevices of the wood. She kissed the capital C as well as the top of the cross. Still hearing Runaway Train from the Altima, she hoped someone would hear it too. She had been blasting it when she was in the car...that had seemed hours ago though.

    The nearest gas station was three, four, maybe five miles away. It was possible that she could walk there, but the walk would have been painful, would have been too much. She much rather wait until someone found her. Her body wrapped around the bottom of the cross so that the side where her hip and ribs ached could be exposed for someone to see.

    She waited for an hour, and no one came. She was feeling faint, the air seemed lighter. Every time she looked at her hip she began to lose hope. So much blood was gone. No one was going to show, she was in the middle of no where. The morning sun would come and maybe someone will be driving to work, but that seemed like millions of years away. There was no way she could wait that long.

    "Guess we made it out," she said to the cross.

    Looking at her silver Tweetie watch (it had been a belated birthday present from her dad) she tried to read the hands. The moonlight was dimming, the world was dimming, but before it faded away she saw what the hands were trying to tell her.

    It was 3 am.